Q

Q (which stands for "Quartermaster"), is the genius behind James Bond's weaponry and gadgets. He runs the MI6 research and development department. He supplies 007 with whatever equipment he will need for his missions. As such, he has helped Bond out in the most crucial of times.

Actors:

Peter Burton (1921-1989)

He did not provide Bond with gadgets but switched Bond's Beretta to what would become his weapon of choice, the famous Walther PPK.

Due to a scheduling conflict, Peter Burton was not available to reprise the role for the filming of From Russia with Love. He was subsequently replaced by Desmond Llewelyn.

To this day, Llewelyn is the longest-running, the most well-known and probably the most beloved actor to have portrayed the master of gadgets. He played in seventeen movies from From Russia with Loveto The World Is Not Enough (Q did not appear in Live And Let Die) alongside no less than five different Bond actors and three different M actors.

The character was annoyed on many occasions because of Bond's casual (sometimes even childish) behaviour, especially when Bond played with the gadgets or came back from his missions with destroyed cars, making the traditional gadget presentation / Q lab moments regularly comedic.

espite Bond's behaviour, the two seemed to be dear friends. It showed particularly in Licence To Kill, where Q did not hesitate to personally come to Isthmus with a bunch of gadgets to help Bond in his rogue vendetta despite M's orders.

It seems like he enjoyed setting pranks in his department, because some of his assistants ended up amusingly trapped by non-lethal gadgets, such as a guy swallowed by a trapped sofa (on which Q sat) in The Living Daylights, or another guy trapped in a phone booth by an airbag in Goldeneye (with absolutely no reaction from Q), or R in the airbag-coat (deliberately triggered by Q) in The World Is Not Enough.

Llewelyn's character retired on screen in The World Is Not Enough, passing the torch to his successor, R (John Cleese), who replaced him in the next film. Sadly, Llewelyn died after a car accident at age 85 shortly after the film's release...

He was established as the new Q in Die Another Dayfollowing Boothroyd's retirement.

He adopted a more serious attitude regarding Bond's antics (quite fitting in regard of Cleese's humor style dating back to his Monty Python days) though he probably did not have time to become friends with Bond, unlike his predecessor.

Nevertheless, he was proud of the department he was now in charge of and provided Bond with the most cutting-edge equipment ever in Die Another Day, even to this day.

The video game Everything Or Nothing included the last media appearance of this Q in the Bond universe. Cleese provided his voice and likeness.

The character was meant to return but the franchise's reboot since Casino Royale prevented it to this day (due to the recent films' more serious tone, most probably). More to read about Cleese's opinion on the subject here.

The youngest actor to portray Q to this day, the first Q to be younger than 007as well, and the first Q to wear glasses.

He is introduced as a computer science genius and masterful hacker who values brains over brawn. He also prefers intellect over Craig's Bond's more direct approaches.

His youth and lack of experience make Bond dubious when they meet for the first time, and Q in his turn considers Bond as merely "someone to pull the trigger" at first.

Later on, his confidence takes a hit when his computer science talents are overwhelmed by Raoul Silva's breach into the MI6 security systems. Nevertheless, he assists Bond in his chase against Silva, monitoring him and telling him where to go. He also leaves a false tracking signal for Silva to follow as Bond and M are heading to Scotland.

Time will tell if their partnership will improve in the next movies, it seems to be shaping up in a good way after they shake hands.

Q: The Walther PPK/S has a nine-millimeter short. It's been coded to your palmprint so only you can fire it. Less of a random killing machine, more of a personal statement.

(Bond only receives two gadgets)

Bond: This isn't exactly Christmas.

Q: Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't really go in for that sort of things anymore.

Q: I can do more damage on my laptop in my pyjamas than you can do in one year on the field.

Bond: Then what do you need me for?

Q: Every now and then a trigger has to be pulled.

Bond: Or not pulled. It's hard to know which in your pyjamas... Q?

Q:(shaking his hand) 007.

Trivia:

Desmond Llewelyn's Q is based off a real life person - Geoffrey Boothroyd - who was a gun expert. Geoffrey came up with the idea to switch the Beretta to a Walther PPK. He stated to Ian Fleming : "I love everything about James Bond except that damn gun!"

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